October 2011 Museum Kids Activities Calendar

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In keeping with October’s Halloween theme, this month’s calendar is a monster!  But in a good way. The calendar is just bursting with family fun activities at Los Angeles art museums.  And that’s not only because there are lots of Halloween festivities, or because October happens to have five weekends this year. It’s also because there are two major art initiatives happening in Los Angeles this month,  Pacific Standard Time and The Big Draw L.A.  

The Getty sponsored initiative Pacific Standard Time (PST) is an unprecedented look at art in Los Angeles from 1945-1980 — this six month program features exhibitions at more than 60 locations.  The first weekend of October is the official PST kick-off with special events all over town.  There’s even free admission and free shuttles to many participating museums on October 2nd.

For families, the Getty Center is hosting a PST Family Festival (10/22).  It’s a day full of L.A. art inspired family activities including live performances, artist installations, and art-making activities. The Craft and Folk Art Museum (10/8) and the Huntington (10/22) have creative family workshops highlighting their PST exhibitions, which are not to be missed.  Stay tuned to learn about more PST upcoming events for kids, and for parents looking for an artful night out (I can’t wait!).

Presented by Ryman Arts, The Big Draw L.A. celebrates the art of drawing this month.  With over 30 events citywide, opportunities for family museum drawing adventures abound.  Families can create nature collages on the Huntington’s lawn (10/1), construct kinetic mobiles at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA) 10/2, make flower power drawings at the Craft and Folk Art Museum (10/8), and draw portraits (10/8) and explore color (10/29) at the Getty Center. 

And yes, L.A. museums have plenty of Halloween activities planned too.  Kids can learn how to perform magic tricks at the Skirball (10/2), make masks at the Norton Simon (10/22), celebrate the Day of the Dead at the Fowler (10/23), and turn pumpkins into art (10/29) at the Huntington  And what would Halloween be without monster movies and spooky stories?  Hammer’s free family flick this month is the 1966 comedy Munster, Go Home! (10/30). The Huntington has after-school Halloween Tales (10/26) and LACMA has a Halloween interactive storytelling performance (10/29) in the park.

Just in time for Halloween family fun, the Getty Museum has new spooky kids iPod Touch audio tour: Demons, Angels and Monsters (see earlier post).  Oh, and did I mention it’s free!  LACMA’s Tim Burton exhibition (see earlier post) closes on Halloween, October 31st.  Check out closing events for Tim Burton inspired spooky activities for all ages.  And don’t forget to subscribe to get this calendar every month.

See you in the galleries!
Ro

October 2011 Museum Family Events

Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM)
FAMILY WORKSHOP : Flower Power Drawings
Big Draw L.A. activity/PST exhibition event
Saturday, October 8: drop-in between 1:30-3:30 pm
$5 fee.  CAFAM Family/Dual passport members free.

Getty Center Museum
FAMILY DRAWING: Put Your Best Face Forward
Saturday, October 8: 3:30 pm
Free. Space limited.  Sign-up begins at 3 pm.

FAMILY FESTIVAL : Pacific Standard Time Family Festival
Saturday, October 22: 10 am – 6 pm
Free. No reservations. All ages

FAMILY DRAWING: Exploring Color
Saturday, October 29: 3:30 pm
Free.  Space limited.  Sign-up begins at 3 pm.

FAMILY ART STOPS
30 minute family gallery tour activity
Every Saturday and Sunday: 2 pm, 2:30 pm
Space limited. Sign-up begins 30 minutes before tour. Ages 5+

Getty Villa Museum
ART ODYSSEY FOR FAMILIES
45 minutes family gallery tour activity
Every Saturday and Sunday: 2 pm
Space limited. Sign-up begins 15 minutes before tour.
Reservations required for museum admission. Ages 5+

Fowler Museum at UCLA
FAMILY WORKSHOP: The Big Draw L.A. @ the Fowler
Big Draw L.A. activity
Sunday, October 16: 1-5  pm

FAMILY WORKSHOP: Super-Calaca (Day of the Dead celebration)
Sunday, October 23: 1-4 pm
Free. Drop-in.

Hammer Museum
KIDS WORKSHOP: News Flash: Comics Books Saved the World
Sunday, October 16: 12 pm
Free. Space limited, reservations encouraged.  Ages 10-14

FREE FAMILY FLICKS: Munster, Go Home!
Munster family comedic film adventure (1966)
Sunday, October 30: 11 am
Free. Recommended ages 8+

The Huntington 
FAMILY WORKSHOP: The Big Draw
Big Draw L.A. activity
Saturday, October 1: 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
Free. No reservations

TEEN ART CLASS:  Plein Air Painting
Saturday, October 1: 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Fee.  Registration required.  Ages 14–17

PRE-SCHOOL SERIES:  The Sky’s the Limit
Starting October 12, Wednesdays: 10 am – noon
Fee. Space Limited. Registration required.  Ages 3-4

CHILDRENS WORKSHOP: Weaving Plants into Art
Saturday, October 22: 10 am-12:30 pm
Fee.  Registration required. Ages 7-12
PST exhibition event

AFTER-SCHOOL ADVENTURES: Halloween Tales
Wednesday, October 26: 3-3:45 pm
Fee. Registration required.  Ages 5-6

CHILDRENS WORKSHOP: Gourds Galore!
Saturday, October 29: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Fee. Registration required. Ages 7-12

FAMILY TEA PARTY: Tea with Alice & Friends
Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea party
Sunday, October 30: 2-4 pm
Reservations required. $37.50 per person

LACMA
FAMILY SUNDAY WORKSHOPS: Tim Burton: What a Character!
Every Sunday in October (Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30): 12:30 – 3:30 pm
Free with admission. No reservations.

STORYTELLING PERFORMANCE: Pumpkin Bones, Picnic Stones, and Hallow’s Eve Tales
Saturday, October 29
12-1 pm Prop Making Workshop
1-2 pm Storytelling performance
Free. No reservations.
Located in Hancock Park

Norton Simon Museum
STORYTELLING ACTIVITY: Strike a Pose
Stories about dance and sketching movement activity
Sunday, October 2: 2-3 pm
Free. Ages 4-8

FAMILY ART NIGHT: Wish Me Luck
Stories about of the Buddha and Tibetan flag art-making activity
Friday, October 7: 6:30-7:30 pm
Free. Ages 6-10

FAMILY FESTIVAL:  The Art of Dance, Baile Folklórico of Mexico
Sunday, October 9: 1:30-3:00 pm
Free. All ages

FAMILY WORKSHOP: Mask Magic
Saturday, October 22: 1-3 pm
Ages 4-10

YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP: Making Impressions with Shapes and Words
Sunday, October 30: 12:30-1:45 pm and 2:00-3:15 pm
Ages 8-13.  Online registration required.

Santa Monica Museum of Art
FREE FAMILY DAY WORKSHOP: Draw and be Mobile
Big Draw L.A. activity/PST event
Sunday, October 2: 2-4 pm

Skirball Cultural Center
FAMILY WORKSHOP: Make a Little Magic
Sunday, October 2nd: 2-4 pm
Fee. Space limited. Advance reservations required. Ages 7+

KIDS CLASS: Toddler Time
Wednesdays (October 5-November 9): 10:30 am-12 pm
Fee. Advance registration required.

FAMILY EVENT: Sukkot Family CelebratIon
Sunday, October 16: 5-7 pm
Free.  Space limited.  Advance reservations recommended.

FAMILY PERFORMANCE: Lisa Loeb
Grammy nominated singer/songwriter
Sunday, October 30: 2-3 pm
Free. Advance tickets available online. All ages.

PERFORMANCE: Spellbinding Sundays
Strolling magicians perform magic throughout the run of the exhibition
Masters of Illusion: Jewish Magicians of the Golden Age
Every Sunday:  Intermittently 12:00-2:00 pm
All ages. Included with Museum Admission, no reservations

Museum Family Activity Spaces 

Getty Villa Museum FAMILY FORUM
Families explore ancient art together with hands-on activities
including 3D puzzles, vase decorating, and shadow-play Greek theater props.
Daily, except Tuesday. Drop-in.
Reservations required for museum admission.

Getty Center Museum FAMILY ROOM
A place for families to draw, build, read, and play together (see earlier post).
Daily, except Mondays. Drop-in.

LACMA BOONE CHILDREN’S GALLERY
Families make Korean style paintings together
Daily, except Wednesdays
Free tickets required — available at museum box office.
Children’s Storytime on Mondays and Fridays: 2 pm

Skirball NOAH’S ARK
Families can climb, build, explore, and make art together.
Daily, except Monday Special admission fee required.
Free to Members and Children under 2. Free to all visitors on Thursdays.
Advance tickets recommended weekends, Thursdays, and school holidays.

 

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